March on

Friday night a college friend had a birthday party downtown. I had called 1-night to see if he was going to be there and he said he would. I went to the party and knew maybe 5 people, and had a great time talking to them. Around midnight I got a text from 1-night saying he wasn't coming out--he had an excuse of course. I left the party soon after and went to a bizarre and slightly famous place that exclusively sells rice-pudding. I took my early-morning rice-pudding to-go and walked the 2.5 miles home. I walked along well lit streets and there were always plenty of people around. I just wanted to walk. I kept passing subway stops and thought, nah, I'll just keep walking.

Today when speaking with a friend of mine he said my stroll was the 'stupidest thing he had ever heard.' I didn't ask if he would have thought it would have been stupid for him to do, but I thought his use of the term 'unsafe' answered the quandry. It pisses me off that I live in a culture where it is acceptable for a boy that I am taller and stronger than to tell me I shouldn't go out alone after dark. If the streets are 'unsafe' for me then that better mean that they are unsafe streets and not that I am unsafe on them. Honestly, I have kept this opinionated boy safe more than once when he tried to stumble around between bars or home some evening. He didn't even think before pronouncing night time off limits to ladies! Why is it that a subway full of strangers is safer than a street full of strangers? At least on a street I could run if ever faced with danger.
At any rate, my short friend aside, I had a lovely night and feel much more at peace with 1-night. I mean, it's much better to know now than later that he won't make effort to get laid, because for me that is a deal-breaker.

I'm marching on.